High school seniors treasure several milestones their last year in school: acceptance into college, their last high school prom, graduation day.

But two outstanding high school student athletes from Midlothian, Va., and Tucson, Ariz., have another moment in time worth celebrating.

Gabrielle Badura and Rexford Woodbury sealed their name in Heisman history this evening at the Wendy’s High School Heisman awards ceremony in New York City.

Wendy’s honored them as the national winners of the prestigious award, which selects exceptional students who exhibit excellence in academics, athletics and community service. The two winners were chosen from nearly 55,000 applicants – one of the highest entry pools in the award program’s 17-year history:

Gabrielle Badura, Clover Hill High School

Hometown: Midlothian, Va.

Gabrielle Badura is a cross country All-American who holds several school records.  Off the field, she’s president of her class and has been recognized as Student of the Year and a National Merit Scholar. She also dedicates her time tutoring students and leading a service group that’s offered relief to hurricane victims in Haiti. After graduation, she plans on hiking several national parks and attending a top engineering university to pursue a career in biomedical engineering.

Rex Woodbury, Catalina Foothills High School

Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.

Rexford Woodbury prides himself on his passion for sport and for others. He holds records in the 800 and 1600 meter runs and is the only track athlete in his school’s history to be a top scorer for 3 consecutive years. Rexford also uses his love of running to advocate for causes supporting medical research and youth. He currently holds a 4.0+ GPA and is a National Merit Semifinalist and AP Scholar. After graduation, he hopes to claim a NCAA title at a top university and continue serving his community.

Gabrielle and Rex were selected from an exceptional group of national finalists, made up of six male and six female students from six U.S. regions, representing a variety of sports and extracurricular activities.

“These high school seniors have not only excelled in athletics, but they’ve become inspirations to those around them,” said Archie Griffin, two-time collegiate Heisman Memorial Trophy winner. “We’re honored to have Gabrielle and Rex enter the esteemed ranks of Heisman greatness. They embody every bit of what Wendy’s High School Heisman recognizes – leadership, service, and scholarship.”

This year’s two national winners will each receive a crystal Wendy’s High School Heisman trophy, a $10,000 donation to their respective high schools and recognition.

A serious eye injury can leave your child on the side lines or bench longer than they would like. The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind encourages you to take the following steps to ensure your child can enjoy their favorite sports this season safely.

– Wear proper eye guards (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racquet sports, basket ball, tennis or volleyball;
– Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for baseball and softball;
– Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.

Regular reading glasses or sunglasses or even safety glasses don’t provide the necessary eye protection for many sports. Purchase eye guards at sports stores or your local optical store. Ask someone familiar with your child’s eyesight to fit them properly and make sure the eye guard contains cushioning along the eyebrow and the edge of the nose to help prevent athletes from cutting or damaging his or her face.

Almost all sports related eye injuries can be prevented. Whatever your sport or age, protect your eyes! Contact the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind or your local blind agency for more information.

The speed of the course draws elite runners including those trying to qualify for the US Olympic Trials and for the Boston Marathon. Joan Benoit Samuelson, 1984 Olympic Gold medalist and two-time Boston Marathon title holder, will try to break a world record for her age group in the half marathon. Bill Rodgers, one of the pioneers of American marathon running, will also run the half marathon.

Army Athlete of the Year, Matt Cavanaugh, will run the marathon as part of the Team Wounded Warriors Project. He plans to run 300 miles in races throughout the year to raise money for Wounded Warriors. Marine Jeremy Soles will run the half marathon in a gas mask to raise awareness and funds for Wounded Warriors. He is attempting to break his previous world record time for running a half marathon in a gas mask.

“We are really impressed with the growth of the race each year and the quality of the runners,” said race director Bill Reifsnyder. “This year we will host runners from 50 states and 30 countries, and we are proud to be able to showcase Washington D.C.’s monuments and diverse neighborhoods as our races run through six of the city’s eight wards.”

Local elite runner Michael Wardian, of Arlington, Va., is a favorite to win this year’s marathon. He is a three-time champion of the SunTrust National Marathon and is the 2008 and 2009 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year and the 2009 New York Road Runners Club’s Ultra Runner of the Year.

Other men’s favorites include Patrick Moulton the 2009 winner of the marathon and former New England Road Race Grand Prix Champion; Mohammed Awol, thirteenth place finisher in the New York Marathon; Lars Juhl, a second place finisher in the Champaign Marathon; and Mark Furin, Stephen Haas, and Jeff Powers, members of Team Indiana Elite who are trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials; as well as Demesse Tefera the reigning 2009 National Half Marathon winner.

Women’s favorites in the marathon include Tamara Karrh who finished twenty fifth in the Boston Marathon; Shannon Saunders of Charlottesville, Va., who was a James Madison University Top 10 Female Athlete of the Decade; and Muliye Gurmu who finished second in the Bermuda Marathon.

Women’s favorites in the half marathon include Dani Prince of Team Indiana Elite who is trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials and her teammate Jessica Gall who qualified in 2008; Phoebe Ko who finished in the top five in last year’s half marathon; and Carly Shea who is attempting to get her third qualification for the Olympic Trials.

Ten thousand five hundred runners are expected to compete in the three races. Among them, many runners with inspirational stories including a number of contestants from the NBC television show the “Biggest Loser.”

Crowds will gather along the race route, and at the six official Community Spirit Festival locations which include Dupont Circle (SunTrust Branch), Adams Morgan (SunTrust Pavilion – 18th & Columbia Road, N.W.), Bison Bend (Howard University – 5th and Harvard Streets, N.W.), North Capitol Street at R Street, N.W. (Bloomingdale), Randle Circle (Minnesota Avenue, N.E.), and Anacostia Park (Anacostia Drive SE & Nicholson Street, S.E.). The festival locations will provide refreshments and noisemakers and the first 200 fans will receive free t-shirts.

Runners can register for the race online until midnight March 14 and then again the day before the race, on March 19, at the D.C. Armory at the National Health & Fitness Expo, from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Volunteers are needed for race day.

For more information, visit www.nationalmarathon.com

STACK Media, the leading producer and distributor of sports performance, instruction and lifestyle content for high school athletes, announced the findings from its third annual “STACK Elite 50 College Rankings” – which is the most recognized, comprehensive college rankings and resource of its kind and a powerful research tool for any high school athlete looking to compete and study at the next level. For the second straight year, Stanford University came out on top by finishing number one in seven of the 21 sport-specific rankings. Aside from the overall Elite 50 standings, which highlights the best schools in terms of a strong overall athletic presence, individual team rankings for 21 varsity sports are also listed. The full rankings can be found in STACK Media’s Holiday print edition, which is out today.

In addition to rankings and stories about top ranked schools in the Holiday edition of STACK Magazine, STACK Media has also compiled exclusive interviews with Elite 50 colleges’ coaches, athletes and academic advisors on the dedicated section of the Web site – http://elite50.stack.com/.

“Serious high school athletes want to elevate their game to the next level with credible information on training and performance, but reliable sources on their best options for schools with top academic and athletic programs are extremely limited for them to turn to,” said Nick Palazzo, Co-founder and Co-CEO of STACK Media. “The college recruiting and selection process is demanding, time consuming and stressful, and we aim to make it easier for students in researching and calculating the top colleges out there with the STACK Elite 50 College Rankings. Whatever your sport of choice may be, we’ve listed the right college for you.”

*Stanford University claims top spot

Stanford University was the first ever repeat winner by coming out number one in eight sports and fielding 17 top-15 squads, along with being ranked by U.S. News as America’s fourth best academic college/university. Florida nailed down the number two overall ranking with only one top-ranked sport (softball), but had 15 top-15 squads and was ranked 47 by U.S. News. The school jumped from last year’s number five listing.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, who were number one in ’07 and number three in ’08, claim their third consecutive top-five overall finish. UNC dominates the baseball diamond with an Elite 50 “Triple Crown” – three years running as the top baseball program. This was combined with a well-respected U.S. News spot at 28 and 11 top-15 teams. The Texas Longhorns came in at number four, but dropped from number two overall last year. And rounding out the top five is the University of South Carolina thanks to a sneaky four-sport attack, led by the football squad’s three-peat. Women’s golf, men’s tennis and men’s T&F also ranked number one.

“It was another competitive year for the top spot, with many worthy contenders,” Palazzo added. “We congratulate Stanford University for yet another number one ranking. The men and women of Palo Alto can be very proud for upholding the title of best college for academically minded athletes. And any high school athlete looking to play at the collegiate level has 50 fantastic schools from our Elite 50 list that they should have on their radar screen, as they are all top-notch schools in terms of both academics and sports.”

*College rankings by sport

Below are the top five college rankings in each of the sports that were included in the Elite 50 rankings:

Football
1. USC
2. Florida
3. Ohio State
4. Texas
5. Georgia

Men’s Basketball
1. UNC
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Duke
5. Memphis

Women’s Basketball
1. Stanford
2. UConn
3. UNC
4. Duke
5. Maryland

Baseball
1. UNC
2. Rice
3. Virginia
4. ASU
5. Florida State

Men’s Soccer
1. Wake Forest
2. Maryland
3. Notre Dame
4. Northwestern
5. Indiana

Women’s Soccer
1. UNC
2. Notre Dame
3. UCLA
4. Stanford
5. USC

Men’s Swimming
1. Stanford
2. Michigan
3. Cal
4. Florida
5. Texas

Women’s Swimming
1. Stanford
2. Cal
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Texas

Hockey
1. Michigan
2. Notre Dame
3. Boston University
4. Miami (OH)
5. Boston College

Men’s Track
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Stanford
4. Florida
5. Texas A&M

Women’s Track
1. Michigan
2. Stanford
3. USC
4. Texas A&M
5. Florida

Wrestling
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Northwestern
4. Penn State
5. Cornell

Lacrosse
1. Duke
2. Virginia
3. Notre Dame
4. Cornell
5. UNC

Volleyball
1. Stanford
2. Penn State
3. Florida
4. Nebraska
5. Washington

Softball
1. Florida
2. Michigan
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
5. Arizona State University

In order to determine the sport-specific rankings, STACK Media uses five main indicators of excellence. One source is the 2010 U.S. News & World Report on America’s best colleges, which each year ranks the nation’s top colleges and universities, strictly in terms of academic prowess. Also considered is the Academic Progress Rate (APR) system that measures how well a collegiate athletic team’s members progress toward graduation during their playing careers. A third indicator is the end-of-the-season national rankings and polls from various national outlets that sum up the entire season’s results. A team’s win-loss record is also considered, where the number of games over .500 for each team is calculated over the past three seasons, and then awarded points based on that total. Finally, there’s the ‘STACK Factor,’ or the strength of the overall athletic community in terms of the level of athletic support and ability throughout all 21 varsity sports covered.

Source: STACK Media

“Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen any time and anywhere, even impacting seemingly healthy athletes, young adults, and those without any known signs of heart disease,” said Dr. Vince Mosesso, medical director for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA). “Our sympathies are extended to the families of the three Detroit runners, and we will defer to the local medical examiner for conclusive reports on the cause of death, but the collapse of three runners in one race only heightens the importance of greater public education and awareness about sudden cardiac arrest.”

Mosesso said that nearly 300,000 U.S. deaths are attributed to SCA each year, resulting in the collapse of an American about once every two minutes. While early bystander and immediate CPR and AED use have been shown to significantly improve survival, still many SCA victims do not receive treatment fast enough and the overall survival rate remains tragically low at eight percent.

He urged the public to remember these basic facts about sudden cardiac arrest:

– SCA is different than a heart attack, and involves an electrical disruption of the heart that results in a very rapid but extremely weak heart beat, prohibiting the heart from circulating blood and oxygen to the body (as compared to a pumping malfunction from a blocked artery that is often the cause of a heart attack)
– SCA requires immediate CPR and often the shock of a defibrillator to restore the heart’s natural rhythm
– A previous heart attack, coronary artery disease and a family history of sudden death or unexplained syncope (fainting) are among the risk factors that should always be shared with a personal physician, as well as other risk factors such as obesity, smoking and diabetes
– Implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) provide round-the-clock protection for more than a million Americans identified as at risk of SCA.

www.suddencardiacarrest.org

Source: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association

Honoring over 30 years of tradition, six active duty triathletes commanded the strength, courage and commitment learned from years serving with the U.S. Navy to battle one of the most grueling race courses at the 31st annual Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

“Our six Navy athletes accepted this challenge of physical and mental stamina in pursuit of competitive excellence and dedication to serving our nation,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Tom Jones of Navy Recruiting Command. “The Navy is honored to continue its relationship with Ironman and we are excited to see our athletes – all with diverse backgrounds- remain highly committed and push themselves to the limit in this awesome athletic event.”

The race will air at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 19 on NBC.

The six U.S. Navy athletes are among an elite group of 1,800 professional and amateur athletes participating in one of the most prestigious world championship races the sport of triathlon has to offer: 2.4 miles of ocean swimming, 112 miles of biking and a 26.2 mile marathon run through the hot, windy terrain on the Big Island of Hawaii.

This year’s Navy triathletes represent a diverse mix of Navy professionals:

– Captain (Select) Scott Jones, currently serving as the commanding officer of a theater Anti-Submarine Warfare unit in Southern California, is an avid triathlete. An 8-time Ironman finisher, he was named an All-American by both Inside Triathlon magazine and USA Triathlon.

– Commander David Haas, a Naval Academy graduate, is the commanding officer of the USS Thach. Having completed over 20 triathlons including two Ironman-distance races, this is his first time at the Ford Ironman World Championship.

– Commander Wendy Towle, a Naval Academy graduate, will soon take command as the Meteorology and Oceanography Officer embarked on USS Blue Ridge in Yokosuka, Japan. A lifelong athlete, this is her second full Ironman triathlon and first time at the Ford Ironman World Championship.

– Lieutenant Commander Don Cross, an officer with strong Navy family history and a current MBA candidate at Brenau University, currently serves as a Strategic Weapons officer for Commander Submarine Squadron Twenty. Inspired by the annual Navy SEAL Superfrog Triathlon in 1996, he has actively competed in the sport of triathlon since with this being his first Ford Ironman World Championship.

– Lieutenant Nick Brown, an NROTC graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, is a qualified Seabee Combat Warfare Officer and has been selected to serve in the Civil Engineer Corps’ Ocean Facilities Program. A competitive swimmer since youth, this is his third Ironman distance triathlon.

– Chief Petty Office Marty Taylor, a U.S. Navy SEAL, currently serves as Training Leading Chief Petty Officer for the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory Course at Naval Station Great Lakes. Since 2004, he has participated 60 triathlons, marathons and other endurance events including ultra marathons.

Source: U.S. Navy

On Saturday, October 10, 2009 athletes, families with children and power walkers can support Mercy Ministries of America at the Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk in Lincoln, CA. Run for Mercy is an annual event for all ages, and children under 12 years of age can participate for free. This year, the non-profit residential program hopes to raise $26,000 to help young women between the ages of 13-28 who face life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, physical and sexual abuse, depression and unplanned pregnancy.

This 5 kilometer route will start and end at Mercy Ministries’ brand new Lincoln, California home. The starting time for the race is 9:00 am. Participants can either walk or run and should anticipate the race to take approximately 35 minutes for runners and 45 minutes for walkers to complete. Top finishers will receive medals and door prizes will be given away throughout the event. This celebration of hope and transformation will also have family friendly games, face painting and more!

“Team Mercy is by far the best team I have ever run with. I have run competitively since the 6th grade, but this is the first time I had a purpose bigger than myself,” said James Gaines, a past Run for Mercy participant. “Every step I took, it made me think of the Mercy girls and how their lives are being changed through being able to get the help they need, free of charge.” James literally placed a letter of encouragement that he had received from a Mercy girl in a plastic bag, put it in his shoe and ran with it in his shoe the entire race!

Since 1983, Mercy Ministries’ free-of-charge, voluntary Christian residential program has served a diverse population of young women from various socio-economic backgrounds, ages 13-28, who face a combination of life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, physical and sexual abuse, depression and unplanned pregnancy. Mercy Ministries of America has residential homes in Monroe, La.; Nashville, Tenn.; and St. Louis, Mo., and Lincoln, Calif. Mercy Ministries has global affiliates in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Peru. For more information on Mercy Ministries, please visit www.mercyministries.com.

Now is a great opportunity for the Sacramento community to support this ministry by joining an existing team, forming a new team or registering as an individual participant in this year’s 5K run.

Registration is NOW OPEN at www.runformercy.com/california

Source: Mercy Ministries of America

“One of the biggest challenges athletes continually face, not just in hot, humid weather, is consuming enough fluids before, during and after sports to maintain proper hydration,” says Brooke de Lench, Youth Sports Expert and Editor-in-Chief of the popular youth sports parenting website, YouthSportsParents.com and CEO and President of MSI. “iHydrate(TM) is designed to address this important problem,” says de Lench.

To help keep athletes of any age not only stay hydrated but avoid the catastrophic risks of heat-related illness or death, iHydrate(TM) is the first iPhone application to:

– provide the heat index–the apparent temperature on the basis of the current temperature and relative humidity at the user’s current location;
– display the level of heat-illness risk under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat index;
– allow parents, coaches and athletic trainers to schedule hydration reminders for before, during and after sports; and
– help facilitate the replacement of fluids lost during sports based on urine color and/or amount of weight lost.

In addition to these tools, iHydrate(TM) includes a helpful reference section, including basic information on dehydration and heat-illness prevention, signs, symptoms and treatment, and the Pre-Season Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines recently issued by the American College of Sports Medicine and seven other medical groups.

Facts about children and heat-illness
– Exertional heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable non-traumatic exertional sudden death for young athletes in the U.S.
– Dehydration is common in kids playing sports: Of kids studied at summer sports camps more than 50% were dehydrated and 25 to 30% showe
signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illness. Dehydration occurred despite the availability of water and sports drinks, frequent breaks and coaches’ encouragement to stay hydrated. Once children were dehydrated, it was nearly impossible for them to catch up.
– Dehydration can begin when an athlete loses as little as 1 percent of body weight. In a 70-pound child, that is less than 1 pound of weight lost through sweat;
– Dehydration effects performance: as little as a 2% decrease in body weight from fluid loss (e.g. 1.2 lb for a 60-lb athlete) can lead to a significant decrease in muscular strength and stamina.

“We developed iHydrate(TM) to make it much easier for parents, coaches and athletic trainers to keep kids properly hydrated and avoid dehydration and other more serious forms of heat illness,” says de Lench, “by putting new technology – an application in their hands that not only informs them about the risk of heat-related illness in real time, but gives them the tools they need to ensure proper hydration and re-hydration.”

“One of the reasons kids don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after sports, is that they forget,” notes de Lench. “Parents and coaches can use iHydrate(TM) to remind them to drink on a schedule, not just when they are thirsty.”

Source: Mobile Sports, Inc.

The biggest names in high school and professional sports convened in Hollywood as Gatorade honored the top prep male and female athletes with the seventh annual Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards. Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Garrett Gilbert (Lake Travis HS/Austin, Texas) was named Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year, while Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Skylar Diggins (Washington HS/South Bend, Ind.) received Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year honors.

Gilbert and Diggins received their awards at a luncheon emceed by ESPN’s Stuart Scott and attended by Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions (2005-06 Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year), Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, AVP and Olympic Star Misty-May Treanor, and gold medal-winner Jessica Mendoza.

For more than 40 years, Gatorade has helped athletes perform at their best, and in 1985, introduced the Gatorade Player of the Year award which was one of the first national awards to honor high school athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. In 2003, the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to identify and honor the nation’s top overall male and female high school athlete from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored during the high school athletic season.

All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards Show. The show will take place this evening and air on ESPN on Sunday, July 19, at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

“The Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards stand apart in that they honor those who are not only the best on the field of play, but are also proven performers academically, and actively give back to their communities,” said Sarah Robb O’Hagan, chief marketing officer of Gatorade. “Garrett and Skylar are outstanding examples of what a leader and a student-athlete should be.”

2009 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Garrett Gilbert: A returning Class 4A First Team All-State selection as named by the Texas Sports Writers Association, he completed 895-of-1,370 passes for 12,535 yards and 136 touchdowns in his career. In the state championship win over Longview, Gilbert broke the state record for career passing yards, eclipsing former Ennis High and current Texas Tech senior quarterback Graham Harrell’s old mark of 12,532 yards. He ranks second in the state all-time in career passing touchdowns, passing attempts and passing completions. The son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, Garrett has maintained a 3.78 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered extensively as part of the Lake Hills Church community’s vacation bible school and weekly youth group, as well as for Lake Travis Pop Warner Football and the Lake Travis Youth Association.

• 2009 PARADE Player of the Year
  2009 USA Today Offensive Player of the Year
  2008-09 EA Sports Mr. Football
  2009 Under Armour All-American
  2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl nominee
  2008 Associated Press Texas Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year
  2008 Elite 11 Quarterback Camp selection
  2009 MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year
  2009 Texas State 4A Player of the Year

Skylar Diggins: The 5-foot-10 senior guard led the Panthers to a 26-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state tournament, where they fell to the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, Ben Davis of Indianapolis, 71-69. This season, Diggins averaged a state-best 29.0 points per game, along with 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.2 blocked shots. A two-time Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Diggins led the Panthers to state championship games in four consecutive years, including Washington’s title-winning season of 2007. A McDonald’s All-American Game selection, she finished her career with 2,790 points–the third-highest girls’ scoring total in Indiana history–for an average of 25.9 points per game. Diggins has maintained a 3.91 GPA in the classroom and has volunteered with the national Young Life ministry, and has participated in youth empowerment, leadership and educational-enrichment programs on behalf of her school’s Girlfriends Group, as well as the national Educational Talent Search and Project Excel programs.

• 2009 Naismith Prep Player of the Year
• 2009 USA Today All-USA First Team
• Sporting News First Team All-American
• 2009 ESPN HoopGurlz National Player of the Year
• 2009 MaxPreps National Player of the Year
• 2009 McDonald’s All-American Game selection
• Co-MVP 2009 McDonald’s All-American Game
• 2009 PARADE First Team All-American
• 2009 National High School Coaches Association Senior Athlete of the Year, Girls Basketball

2009 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES

The 2008-09 Gatorade National Players of the Year (see below) representing six male and six female sports were nominees for the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards.

SPORT NAME HIGH SCHOOL BOUND FOR …

FEMALE
Volleyball Gina Mancuso Papillion-La Vista University of High School Nebraska (Papillion, NE)

Cross Jordan Hasay Mission College Prep Undecided Country (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Basketball Skylar Diggins Washington High School University of (South Bend, IN) Notre Dame

Soccer Rachel Quon Lake Forest High School Stanford (Lake Forest, IL) University

Softball Kenzie Fowler Canyon del Oro University of High School Arizona (Oro Valley, AZ)

Track & Anna Jelmini Shafter High School Arizona State Field (Shafter, CA) University

MALE
Football Garrett Gilbert Lake Travis University High School of Texas (Austin, TX)

Cross Reed Connor The Woodlands Undecided Country High School (The Woodlands, TX)

Basketball Brandon Knight Pine Crest School Senior in (Fort Lauderdale, FL) High School

Soccer Dillon Powers Plano Senior University of High School Notre Dame (Plano, TX)

Baseball Matt Hobgood Norco High School Baltimore Orioles (Norco, CA) Org.

Track & Curtis Beach Albuquerque Academy Duke University Field (Albuquerque, N.M.)

PAST GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
———————————————————–
Former winners of Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of the Year honors include:

2003

Male: LeBron James / Basketball (Arkron, OH / Cleveland Cavaliers)
Female: Allyson Felix / Track & Field (Los Angeles, CA / USA Track & Field)

2004

Male: Dwight Howard / Basketball (Atlanta, GA / Orlando Magic)
Female: Candace Parker / Basketball (Naperville, IL / Los Angeles Sparks)

2005

Male: Greg Paulus / Football (Syracuse, NY / Syracuse University)
Female: Cynthia Barboza / Volleyball (Long Beach, CA / USA Volleyball)

2006

Male: Greg Oden / Basketball (Indianapolis, IN / Portland Trailblazers)
Female: Tina Charles / Basketball (New York, NY / University of Connecticut)

2007

Male: Kevin Love / Basketball (Lake Oswego, OR / Minnesota Timberwolves)
Female: Maya Moore / Basketball (Suwanee, GA / University of Connecticut)

2008

Male: Matt Barkley / Football (Santa Ana, CA / University of Southern California)
Female: Chanelle Price / Track & Field (Easton, PA / University of Tennessee)

For more information on the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards and the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit www.gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.

In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE, announced senior decathlete Curtis Beach of Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque, N.M.) as its 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Beach is the first student-athlete from the state of New Mexico to win Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in any sport. He is also the first decathlete to be named a Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Beach as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Beach from more than 548,000 high school boys track & field athletes nationwide. Beach is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The 6-foot, 166-pound senior decathlete broke the national prep decathlon record at the Arcadia Invitational this spring, scoring 7,909 points to shatter the 16-year-old former record of 7,417 points. In that competition, Beach set personal bests in the high jump (6-9.5), the shot put (44-8), the javelin (155-9) the 400-meter dash (48.16 seconds) and the 1500-meter run (4:09.48). A three-time Gatorade New Mexico Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year honoree, Beach also led the Chargers to the Class 4A state championship as a team, winning five individual state titles in the process. He took first place in the 110-meter hurdles (14.53), the 200-meter dash (21.84), the 400-meter dash (47.99), the high jump (6-9.5) and the pole vault (15-3).

A 17-time individual state champion in New Mexico’s Class 4A, Beach holds all-class state records in the 200, the 110 hurdles and the long jump. Beach took third in the 800-meter run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 1:50.75, the nation’s 11th-fastest prep clocking in 2009. His season-best time of 20.94 in the 200 ranks No. 3 in the nation among prep competitors.

Beach scored 7,466 points and won the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque for the third straight year. Using international junior implements, he eclipsed a 37-year-old record of 7,359 points set by South Eugene (Oregon) star Craig Brigham in 1972. He also won the 2009 USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships decathlon title, scoring 7,599 points using junior implements.

Beach has maintained a weighted 3.75 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth coach with the Albuquerque Track Club, in a co-coordinating role on behalf of the Whittier Elementary School Health Fair and as part of multiple fundraising initiatives to benefit cancer research. Beach’s senior project involved an internship with the Sandia Chile Grill during which he developed a business plan that sold more than 600 sandwiches.

“It’s certainly been an amazing year for Beach,” said Albuquerque Academy Head Track and Field Coach Adam Kedge. “It has only been outdone by his loyalty to his performance and his loyalty to his team. He is truly the epitome of the ultimate multi-sport athlete. I’ve seen him put in five-, six- or seven-hour days just training with his coaches. Then he still finds the time to be a good student and give back to his community.”

Beach has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Duke University beginning this fall.

“Without question, Curtis is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete based on his statistics on the track and the impact his accomplishments had on Albuquerque Academy’s success,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jeff Urban. “But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Reigning 200-meter world champion Allyson Felix
• Reigning American record-holder in the mile Alan Webb
• 2006 IAAF World Athlete of the Year and 400-meter American record-holder Sanya Richards
• NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
• Softball Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman
• Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
• Kansas City Royals ace Zach Grienke
• WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.

ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

YEAR NAME HIGH SCHOOL STATUS

2008-09 Curtis Beach Albuquerque Academy, High School Senior Albuquerque, NM

2007-08 German Fernandez Riverbank HS, Oklahoma State Riverbank, CA University

2006-07 Bryshon Nellum Long Beach Poly, USC Long Beach, CA

2005-06 David Klech California, University of San Ramon, CA Oregon

2004-05 Ryan Whiting Central Dauphin, Arizona State Harrisburg, PA University

2003-04 Jason Richardson Cedar Hill, Univ. of South Cedar Hill, TX Carolina

2002-03 Kerron Clement La Porte, USA Track & La Porte, TX Field/Nike

2001-02 Brendan Christian Reagan, Univ. of Houston Austin, TX Grad.

2000-01 Alan Webb South Lakes, USA Track & Reston, VA Field/Nike

1999-00 Donald Sage, Jr. York, Stanford Univ. Elmhurst, IL Grad.

1998-99 Jacob Freeman Bishop Hendricken, Manhattan College Warwick, RI Grad.

1997-98 Jon Stevens Mission San Jose, Stanford Univ. Fremont, CA Grad.

1996-97 Sharif Karie West Springfield, Univ. of Arkansas Springfield, VA Grad.

1995-96 Michael Granville Bell Gardens, UCLA Grad. Bell Gardens, CA

1994-95 Michael Stember Jesuit, USA Track & Carmichael, CA Field/Nike

1993-94 Andre Scott Seminole, Auburn Univ. Grad. Sanford, FL

1992-93 Charles Mitchell Waco High, Mississippi State Waco, TX Univ. Grad.

1991-92 Sheddric Fields South Oak Cliff, Univ. of Houston Dallas, TX Grad.

1990-91 Bryan Bronson Jasper, Rice Univ. Grad. Jasper, TX

1989-90 Brent Noon Fallbrook, Univ. of Georgia Fallbrook, CA Grad.

1988-89 Dion Bentley Penn Hills, Univ. of FloridaPittsburgh, PA Grad.

1987-88 Art Skipper, Jr. Sandy, Deceased Sandy, OR

1986-87 Kamy Keshmiri Reno, Univ. of Nevada Reno, NV Grad.

1985-86 Eric Mastalir Jesuit, Stanford Univ. Carmichael, CA Grad.

Source: Gatorade